"Hey Sean, You and I should take a trip down Route 66"

(Sean) Lots of people have asked me about the inspiration for this trip, and I have usually replied, in some form or another, that it was largely Mason's idea, after becoming aquainted with the Road and its associated nostalgia via some shows on the Food Network. Anyway, the idea got kicked around for awhile, until we just decided the timing was right to go for it. As we researched and decided on the things we wanted to try and see along the way, I realized it was starting to sound like a classic cross-country trip. This in turn made us see quite a few similarities between our trip and the classic movie "National Lampoon's Vacation":

We will be renting a Chevy Malibu, not buying a Wagon Queen Family Truckster (although if the rental agent looks anything like Eugene Levy, we may have to rethink that)

We will be driving from the Windy City, Chicago, IL, to sunny Los Angeles. I might call Mason Rusty a few times for the heck of it; he might call me Clark. (If he calls me Sparky, I'll call him Audrey) I'm sure I will have some "good talks" with Mason, but I won't be "sharing" a beer with him.

Instead of singing "Mockingbird" and "Jimmy Crack Corn", we will have over 2000 songs at our disposal on Mason's Zune.

We will go through St. Louis, though we don't intend to stop for $10 directions in any questionable neighborhoods.

We will stay in several motels along the way; there will be no coin-operated jiggly-beds.

We will go through part of Kansas (barely - Route 66 cuts through the SE corner for 13 miles), but we will not stop at Cousin Eddie's for Hamburger Helper patties or hand-mixed kool-aid. Aunt Edna will not be joining us, so no side trips to Phoenix.

Instead of Dodge City and (a crummy) Wyatt Earp, we plan to see Jesse James' hideout at Merimac Caverns, MO.

We will be staying at a campsite starting with a "K" (KOA in Joplin, MO), but it won't be the Kozy Komfort Cabins. We hope they have a mailer.

We will stop to look at the Grand Canyon for more than just a few seconds.

We might get lost (Route 66 is unmarked in most places these days), but we will not barrel through a "Road Closed" sign requiring $500.00 for "4 bald tires and a tow".

Lastly, our destination is Los Angeles, CA, but we won't be going to Wally World (or Disney Land for that matter). My friend Mark (who we will visit) does look a little like John Candy, though.